Federal flood rules are easing for about 8,000 Stockton homes along the Smith Canal, where residents have long paid high flood insurance premiums. Following major flood-control upgrades, FEMA has lifted the federal requirement for many homeowners to carry flood insurance, potentially saving families who previously faced annual bills in the thousands.
According to the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency, FEMA’s revised Flood Insurance Rate Map for the Smith Tract takes effect on Monday and is recorded under FEMA LOMR Case No. 25-09-0442P. In its notice, the agency tells property owners in the newly remapped area that they “are no longer required to purchase flood insurance,” while also cautioning that “your lender may continue to require it as a condition of the…..